About This Coffee
Timor-Leste, one of the world’s youngest nations, is writing a new chapter in its history. As oil reserves begin to decline, coffee is set to become an increasingly important export for the country. For coffee-producing families in Timor-Leste, it’s more than just a crop. Coffee represents the future and provides livelihood for thousands of families.
This late-harvest Natural lot brings together coffee from ~60 smallholder families in Suco Liurai, Aileu Municipality. The cherries selected for this lot are given more time to mature, allowing them to develop higher sugar concentrations than those harvested earlier in the season.
Freshly picked cherries are then processed at Fatukero Drying Station. Established in 2013, Fatukero has dedicated facilities that give the cherries the care they need to reach their full potential. The result is a memorable cup with sweet tropical fruit notes, complemented by cacao nibs, honey and milky white chocolate.
Cultivation
Farmers in the region grow coffee on small plots, typically less than one hectare, cultivating Typica and Híbrido de Timor (Timor Hybrid) at around 1,600 meters above sea level. The mountainous terrain, combined with generations of growing experience, helps produce coffees with expressive profiles.
Coffee is Timor-Leste’s most important agricultural crop. As oil revenues decline, strengthening the coffee sector is becoming increasingly important to the country’s future. Coffee is currently the country’s second-largest source of export income after oil, with 37% of households depending on it for their livelihoods.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Farmers selectively handpick ripe cherries and deliver them to Fatukero station for processing. Upon arrival, the cherries are floated in large tanks to separate them by density. Higher-density cherries are selected, while low-density, less mature cherries float to the surface and are removed.
Selected cherries are then dried for over 21 hours, with workers turning them regularly throughout the process. At night, the cherries are covered to protect them from condensation. They then undergo a separate three-week resting period at approximately 16% moisture, allowing moisture to equalize throughout the dried cherries.
Final drying takes place on raised beds beneath 80% shade cloth, gradually bringing moisture levels down to approximately 11%. Throughout drying, workers also hand-sort the cherries to remove any damaged or underripe fruit.
The final preparation takes place in Gleno. After milling and grading, dried cherries are hand-sorted under close supervision to ensure consistent quality.
Coffee in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste has had a long and tumultuous history that has seen colonization, several occupations, independence and a long and difficult path to peace. Coffee has played a role in Timor-Leste’s economy since the beginning of the country’s modern history.
While coffee production in Timor-Leste continues to expand and quality continues to improve, the climate presents difficulties. The arid weather and short rainy season make it difficult for coffee cherry to grow. On top of contrarian weather, the low nutrient-content in the soil and negligible access to fertilizers and pesticides makes it more difficult for coffee trees to thrive. The average farmer currently collects only about 500 grams of green coffee per tree (2-3 kg cherry).
Timor-Leste’s coffee industry is prevailing in the face of these difficulties. Both quality and productivity are rapidly increasing. Small changes are increasing coffee quality by leaps and bounds, while several programs, funded by NGOs, are working to fundamentally change coffee harvesting and processing in the country.
The government is also playing a role in improving coffee quality by investing in infrastructure, such as new roads, that will make transporting both cherry and parchment easier. Timor-Leste is poised to be a reliable producer of good quality and versatile coffees.
We’re proud to be active in Timor-Leste. We work alongside farmers, cooperatives and agricultural extension officers to help farmers increase yields and quality. Our goal is to work with our partners to help farmers reach an average yield of 2.5 kilograms per tree while also increasing quality. Higher production and higher quality will mean larger incomes for farmers.